This is what a brand new housing estate with 79 homes in Newmarket could look like - as building work on the site gets under way.

CALA Homes was given the green light to transform land at Brickfield Stud, in Exning Road, which will also include public open space with a children's play area.

Fears had been raised about road safety close to the site, as well as concerns that the new estate would effectively mean Exning and Newmarket would be closer to merging.

But West Suffolk Council's planning committee gave the plans the go-ahead in October last year after a report by officers said: "It has been demonstrated that the impact on the HRI [horse racing industry] is neutral and the impact on the local highway network would not be severe."

Now building work has started on the site, which CALA says will provide "high-quality homes".

There will be a mixture of one-bedroom and two-bedroom starter homes, aimed at first-time buyers, along with larger five-bedroom properties for families.

Just under a third of the homes will be classed as "affordable", with a mixture of shared ownership and social rented properties.

CALA will also give money to education services, healthcare and play facilities through Section 106 agreements, where developers make contributions to community facilities to help neighbourhoods cope with the impact of housing growth.

Neil Farnsworth, senior planning manager at CALA Homes North Home Counties, said: "We are delighted that construction has begun on our new development in West Suffolk, and we look forward to delivering a range of attractive new homes in an idyllic town location.

"This development will be our first in West Suffolk and we're excited to begin growing our portfolio in this area.

"The first homes are expected to be released for sale in September this year, therefore we would encourage prospective purchasers to register their interest and visit our website to be the first to hear about these new properties."

Newmarket's horse racing connections will be reflected in the design of the new homes, CALA says.

Traditional stable block architecture, black timber doors and equestrian-themed weather vanes will be incorporated into the scheme to ensure a nod to the town's rich equestrian heritage.